


I wasn't anyone before...

by sumChick



Series: Just some first chapters. [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: BAMF Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Budding Romance, Grieving, Hiccup is heroic, Human Jack, Incomplete, M/M, One Shot, Shipwreck, bully Snotlout, death of Jack's family, genius Hiccup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 21:37:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sumChick/pseuds/sumChick
Summary: If Jack knew Hiccup when he was human.





	I wasn't anyone before...

Nightmares. Hiccup cried out his name as he startled awake… again. It was always the same. Years had passed. He’d done great things. He’d trained dragons. He’d defeated the Red Death. He’d forged alliances with the Outcasts and the Berserkers. He’d brought down Drago Bludvist and his dragon army. He’d become what some of his people would call a great man. But he still couldn’t stop the same nightmare from haunting his every sleeping moment.

He curled around himself and Toothless, having been woken by Hiccup’s grief filled cry, climbed into his bed as well. The faithful dragon was probably the only one who knew… the only one who had any idea of the pain that kept Hiccup awake each night. 

Toothless was the only one who knew that Hiccup had lost his life-mate. Toothless knew that it was a pain that would always haunt his rider. It had been the one moment Toothless hadn’t been with Hiccup. Just one moment.

And in that moment, Jackson had been lost to them.

“Thanks bud.” Hiccup mumbled as he curled into Toothless’s warmth. He felt weak, pathetic. But he couldn’t help it. Five years ago he hadn’t met Toothless alone. Five years ago he hadn’t befriended Toothless alone. Five years ago… “I still miss him.” Hiccup’s voice broke a little as he spoke. “Is it always going to hurt this much?”

Toothless purred a little, hoping to lull his human back to sleep but knowing it was a lost cause. As much as the dragon comforted him – he also reminded Hiccup of Jackson and the time the three had shared together. Toothless missed Jackson too. It had been all three of them and now… it felt hollow. There was an empty space on Toothless’s saddle and the dragon knew it couldn’t be filled by anyone else.

Hiccup hummed and pressed closer. Toothless was the only one he could talk to about this. While the whole village knew that five years ago Hiccup had lost his dearest childhood friend… none of them knew that Hiccup had lost his first, and only, love.

Hiccup hadn’t really believed in true love… until Jackson Overland had showed him exactly what those two words meant.

***

There was a storm. It was loud and vicious, snow and wind turned into a brutal torrent of death and ice. It ravaged Berk and all the surrounding islands. It was so bad that even the dragons didn’t attack. There was no point. Berk lost homes and Vikings in that storm. 

Jackson Overland lost everything.

For seven days and seven nights, the winds screamed their fury and the squall tore through Berk mercilessly. The ocean churned and spewed forth broken pieces of any and all who’d been unfortunate enough to be upon the waves during the storm. Jackson and his family included.

The cyclone had started so suddenly and it ended just as quickly.

The eighth morning was silent, and the sun was shining brightly. Hiccup found his way outside with his father. Together they surveyed the damage. It was bad, but they’d been through worse. They were Vikings who lived in the Meridian of Misery. They’d mourn their dead, fix their houses, and keep living. It was what they did.

It didn’t take long for Hiccup to get in someone’s way. He was just trying to help, he really was, but his father yelled at him again. He was sent away. Hiccup decided to head down to the beach and see if he could find any useful pieces of driftwood. It wasn’t terribly helpful but it was better than doing nothing so off he wandered, heading down to the cove that was a little further around the island than the docks.

He didn’t expect to find pieces of an actual ship.

“What the…” He gasped, shocked for a moment before springing into action. He ran down the beach, ships meant people. Shipwrecks meant people in trouble. He had to check and see if there were any survivors. He found the bodies first, a woman holding onto a little girl. Even in death she was trying to protect her daughter. Hiccup checked them but quickly moved on, there would be time for the dead later. Right now he needed to see to the living… if there were any living in the wreck.

There was only one other body on the beach. Hiccup ran to him across the sand, he was half in and half out of the water. It looked as though the waves could carry him back out at any moment. Hiccup splashed down clumsily to his knees and pulled the boy part way out of the water. Hiccup leant down and pressed his ear to the boy’s chest, he gasped, “Breathing! You’re breathing!” He redoubled his efforts to drag the boy out of the water, he’d have to go for help but he couldn’t let the boy wash away.

As he pulled the boy out of the sea his heart lurched painfully as he realised just how much this boy looked like the mother and girl he had found earlier. The boy had the same brown locks, pale skin and slim features. And if he woke up… he would be on his own. It hurt but Hiccup kept pulling until the boy was well clear of the water and on the higher, drier sand.

Hiccup had volunteered with Gothi when dragon attacks were bad and Vikings were injured, so he knew a little bit about first-aid. The boy was freezing and his clothes were soaked through. He tore off the boy’s cloak and couldn’t get the shirt off so he used his dagger to cut it off instead. He pulled off his own fur vest and lay in on the boy’s chest and then piled warm sand around and over his legs to try and warm him and soak up some of the moisture.

The boy stirred.

Hiccup was just leaning up to move some more sand around his arms when he saw the boy’s eyes open. 

Earthen eyes opened blearily, the boy groaned slightly and tried to move but Hiccup stopped him with gentle hands on his shoulders.

“Don’t move yet… I don’t know if anything’s broken.” He looked deep into the eyes of the boy he’d just rescued. “You’re safe.”

The earth coloured eyes focused for a moment and the boy tried to speak. His voice was hoarse and scratchy and Hiccup had to lean down to hear the few words the stranger could speak, “M-mo…ther?... Si…Sis…ter?”

Hiccup took in a breath. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

Hiccup watched the horrible news register in the face of the stranger, his expressive eyes reflecting his heartbreak, before the boy once again lost consciousness.

“Don’t worry.” Hiccup promised, feeling an uncharacteristic surge of protectiveness for the boy. “I’ll take care of you.” He ran a hand comfortingly through the matted brown locks of the stranger. “I promise.”

Then Hiccup stood and ran as fast as he could for the village. He had to get help but he had to be fast. He didn’t want anything to happen to the boy he had found… at least nothing more than what already had. It took him a few minutes to get back and the entire village was busy with repairs. He tracked down his father who was in the town square barking orders and carrying logs that looked big enough to outweigh the man carrying them.

“Dad!” He cried, trying to get his father’s attention and ducking around busy Vikings. 

“Not now Hiccup.” His dad chastised, ignoring his son and focusing on the important task of repairing his village.

“Dad, it’s important, I promise!” Hiccup pleaded with his father, “I found a boy on the beach, I need help and…”

“Just like that time a troll was living under your house?” Snotlout taunted as he walked past, he was carrying some heavy tools over to his father who was busy repairing a house.

“No this-?!”

“Or that time you saw a fairy stealing teeth?” Snotlout continued as he walked away.

“Dad just listen-?!”

“Enough Hiccup!” Stoic ordered with a finality Hiccup knew he wouldn’t be able to break. “I’ve a village to fix and no time for your stories.” He hefted his log and left Hiccup standing, shaking in the village centre.

Hiccup was shaking with anger. He was beyond furious, with his dad and Snotlout both. He wanted to scream or hit something. But right now he didn’t have time for that. The boy on the beach needed help, and it looked like Hiccup was the only one willing to help him.

Thinking quickly, Hiccup took off to Gobber’s forge. When he reached the forge he looked around wildly, “Where is it? Where is it?” He muttered as he searched. “Aha!” He saw the heavy canvas sticking out from underneath some barrels of old tools.

He reached for it and with a great deal of effort, he managed to pull the old, broken, canvas sail out from under the barrels. He ignored the mess he made as the barrels fell over. He’d clean it up later, he didn’t have time right now. He grabbed some rope and an old blanket that Gobber kept around the forge on his way out.

He ran out of the forge and out into the street, ignoring the curses of the Vikings he pushed past. He didn’t have time. Unfortunately for him, his cousin didn’t agree with him.

“Watch it fishbone!” Snotlout snarled as he stepped out of nowhere.

Hiccup tried to walk past him but the bigger boy stepped so that he remained in front of Hiccup. “I don’t have time for this!” Hiccup growled. He knew his voice was high and nasally and even though he was trying to sound threatening it probably came out more pathetic than anything.

“Make time!” Snotlout snapped, pushing Hiccup backwards with a rough shove.

Hiccup stumbled and hit the ground hard, he hadn’t put his hands down to catch himself because he wanted to make sure he held onto his bundle. The impact hurt but Hiccup was used to this kind of treatment from Snotlout so he didn’t even grunt, instead he just glared up at his cousin.

“Oh poor baby, still just getting in the way!” Snotlout jeered.

Hiccup’s eyes narrowed. Usually he’d have a smart comeback that would dumbfound Snotlout, giving time for the smaller boy to make his escape. But today, right now? Hiccup had someone he needed to protect and Snotlout was in the way. He acted without thinking, nothing but righteous and protective anger guiding his actions.

Hiccup let go of his bundle with one hand so that he could steady himself while he leant back, he then brought his foot up and used all the force he could to viciously kick Snotlout in the gut. The larger boy wheezed in shock and pain, doubling over and Hiccup took his chance. He launched another kick and dealt a heavy blow to Snotlout’s face. There was a sickening crunch under Hiccup’s foot and Snotlout let out an inarticulate yell of pain.

Snotlout groaned and stumbled back. His hands going to his face to try and stem the blood pouring from his nose.

A crowd gathered around the stocky boy but Hiccup had already gotten up and moved away from them, pushing through the crowd with practised ease and then running for the beach. He’d wasted enough time on his idiot of a cousin, that boy on the beach needed him. He heard someone yell his name but he just kept running.

Hiccup ran as fast as his skinny legs would carry him, he was small for a Viking but he was also fast. Years of running away from his cousin had taught him that much at least. He made it back to the beach, the bodies of the mother and girl were still on the shore. The tide was going back out so they weren’t in any danger of being lost, but he only spared them a glance. He ran across the sand to the boy almost falling over in the sand in his haste.

He fell to his knees besides the boy once more and leaned down again, he could hear rough, uneven breaths from the boy’s mouth. He was still alive and Hiccup got to work. He lay down the canvas and put the blanket on top of it, right in the middle. With some grumbling and a great deal of effort he managed to pull the boy up onto the canvas. He made sure that his vest was securely wrapped around the boy’s front and he curled the blanket over him as well, tucking it tight on either side of him. The boy wasn’t as cold as he was before but he still didn’t stir while Hiccup worked.

Then Hiccup wrapped the canvas around him and using the rope he looped it around the boy and tightened it enough so that the boy wouldn’t accidentally slip from his makeshift cacoon. He knotted the rope, leaving a loop that he could put around his shoulders. He looped the rope over one shoulder and across his chest and with all the strength he could muster in his tiny, thirteen-year-old body, he began to pull/drag the unconscious boy across the beach.

The stranger was heavy. Heavier than Hiccup had been expecting but he wouldn’t give up. Not now. He’d promised to protect this boy and he intended to keep his promise. No one else in the village was going to help, he had to do this on his own. He bore the pain in his muscles and kept pulling. He ignored the way the rope dug into his skin and he kept pulling. He ignored the heat of the sun on his back and he kept pulling.

This boy’s whole family had left him for the Halls of Valhalla. Hiccup wouldn’t leave him behind too.

Hiccup kept pulling.

Running, it took only a few minutes for Hiccup to navigate the forest path and get from the village to the beach. Dragging someone behind him? It took him the better part of an hour to make it back to Berk.

By the time Hiccup had reached the village the rope had dug deep into the skin of his neck and his hands, blisters that had since torn open and were now bleeding. His muscles ached and shook with the strain of his burden and all he could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. Another step. And then another. Just keep walking, one foot and then the other. He’d slipped on rocks in the forest and his knees were bruised. There was dirt smeared across his clothes. The only time he stopped was to check on his burden, to find that the boy had warmed a little more and seemed to be breathing easier now.

Listening to the stranger’s breaths kept him going.

One foot in front of the other.

Hiccup kept pulling.

He reached the village centre before anyone noticed him, but he paid them no mind, so intent was he to get his burden to safety. They whispered and pointed but no one approached him. Not until Stoic came from the direction of the great hall and rounded on Hiccup.

“Hiccup! What in Odin’s name do you think you’re doing? You broke Snotlout’s-?!” Stoic stopped talking.

It was the sudden silence that stopped Hiccup’s incessant march. Hiccup stopped, and looked up at his father. The anger came back in a hot flood of vile bile in the back of his throat. “What do you think I’m doing?! You wouldn’t listen to me! I couldn’t let the boy on the beach die because Snotlout was being an ass!” Hiccup yelled at his father. It was probably the first time in his entire life that he had raised his voice to his father like that. A stunned silence fell over the village. No one disrespected the Chief like that. Not even his son. In the silence, Hiccup could hear the boy breathing. It helped him focus. 

Hiccup knew he had to look terrible, with blood on his hands and dripping from his neck and shoulder, he didn’t care. “Gothi!” He cried out for the old woman. His father was less important than his current task. “Gothi I need you!” Hiccup called again.

The tiny, old woman made her way through the crowd. Many stepping aside for her, and those who didn’t received a sharp tap on their heads for their ignorance. She approached Hiccup and raised her frail hand to his injuries but Hiccup took a step back and shook his head.

“Not me Gothi, I need you to look at him.” Hiccup directed her to his precious cargo. He opened the canvas cacoon enough so that Gothi could touch the boy’s face. “There was a shipwreck, there are two bodies on the beach. His mother and his sister.” He looked around at the Vikings surrounding him. “I need two men to go and retrieve them. This boy has lost everything. Least we can do is give his family a proper Viking funeral.”

Gothi continued her work but no one answered Hiccup.

“Well?!” He yelled incredulously. They couldn’t possibly think he was still making up stories could they?!

Stoic shook himself and squared his shoulders. “Right, Spitelout, take two men down to the beach. Gather the bodies and look for any other salvage. Maybe the boy hasn’t lost all of his possessions. Take the bodies to the barge with the others.” They hadn’t lit the barge with their dead yet, they could send the boy’s family out with the Vikings. They would be well protected in the realm of the dead, surrounded by fine Viking warriors.

Hiccup was no longer paying attention to his father, now that he knew that the boy’s family would be taken care of his focus had shifted back to Gothi. She drew something in the dirt and Gobber wandered over to translate.

“She says he needs to be put in a shed.” Gothi hit him. “Ah! Oh! I mean he needs to be put in a bed.” Gobber shrugged. “Not my fault yer writings messy.” He was hit again.

“Right, we can put him in Gothi’s-” Stoic started.

“No.” Hiccup interrupted. “I’ll take him home. He can have my bed. I saved him, he’s my responsibility.” He met his father’s incredulous look with an even stare. He wasn’t going to back down. Stoic would either let stranger in their house or Hiccup would stay with Gothi. He wasn’t going to let this go when he had promised the boy he’d protect him.

Stoic was oddly proud of the fire in his son’s eyes, although he could do without the defiance. Still, he nodded and as Hiccup began to pull again he stopped his son with a hand on his uninjured shoulder. “I can take him.”

There was a childish part of Hiccup that wanted to argue. A tiny selfish part that wanted to drag the boy up to the house by himself. But the shipwrecked stranger wasn’t a toy. He was a person, and right now getting him in bed and taken care of was more important than Hiccup’s pride. 

Hiccup nodded and helped undo the ropes around the canvas, finally revealing the boy to the crowd around him.

The brunet boy was no older than Hiccup. He was slim but tall, but wrapped up in Hiccup’s vest and an old blanket he looked so much smaller. Stoic picked him up with ease, making sure to keep him firmly wrapped in the blanket. With Hiccup, Gothi and Gobber in tow, he headed home.

They walked in silence, Stoic climbing the stairs and laying the boy down in the furs of Hiccup’s bed. Hiccup was downstairs lighting the fire pit. It was a lukewarm day but Hiccup knew that if the boy had caught a chill then he’d need the extra heat. Gothi nodded to him as she made her way upstairs, approving of his quick thinking.

He made sure the fire was long lasting with round logs that would burn for a long time. He didn’t want to be apart from his charge longer than he had to.

He made his way upstairs, his aches and pains now making themselves well known. He’d ignored his cuts and bruises too long and now they were burning but he pushed on and made his way up into his room. He’d stopped bleeding at least, but the blood had dried and it was itchy and irritating through the burning pain of the injuries themselves. Hiccup was a little used to pain, his cousin and a few others had been giving him nothing but for years now.

Gothi was still examining the stranger so Hiccup took a seat tiredly at his desk. He didn’t want to be in the way, he wanted Gothi to concentrate on her task. She worked in her customary silence before covering the boy up with Hiccup’s furs and spelling out something with her runes.

“Plants? You need plants?” Gobber translated. “Ow!” He was hit again. “Oh herbs! She needs some medicinal herbs; some storehouses were ruined in the storm so we’re running low.” Gobber nodded along to whatever Gothi was spelling. “Too right. Boy probably won’t make it without them, but I don’t know where to get them on such short notice.”

“Wait a minute.” Hiccup muttered, drawing all three of the adult’s attention towards himself. He rummaged through the papers on his desk until he found the book he was looking for. “Here!” He cried triumphantly. It was one of his sketchbooks.

Stoic sighed, “Really son? Is now the time for pictures?”

Hiccup’s jaw clenched in annoyance for a moment before he decided to completely ignore his father and turned instead to Gothi and Gobber. “It has some sketches of plants I’ve found growing on the island.” Gobber took the book and opened it, giving out a low whistle at the detail of its contents. Gothi raised her eyebrows when Gobber held the book down to her level. “I’ve also written down where I found them, I don’t know if everything will be there but-?”

“Good work Hiccup.” Gobber complimented as Gothi snatched the book and started thumbing through the pages. “Even after this I’m sure it’ll come in handy.”

Gothi quickly skimmed through the pages and when she found one in particular that she needed she grabbed Gobber’s attention and gestured at the book.

“Oh so you want some of that one eh?” Gobber said. “It looks like it grows pretty close to here.”

Gothi waited a few moments but when all Gobber did was stare at the book she whacked him with her staff again.

“Ow!” Gobber rubbed the side of his head grumpily. “I’ve got a permanent lump there thanks to you.”

Gothi pointed at the book and brandished her staff again.

“Oh you want me to go get it.” Gobber finally caught on. “Alright, alright, I’m going.”

Hiccup sat down, relieved as Gobber left to get whatever it was that Gothi wanted, as he lowered himself he couldn’t help but let out a little hiss of pain. There wasn’t a single part of his body that didn’t ache, but the rope burn across his neck and shoulder was probably the worst.

Gothi wandered over with her bag and tilted Hiccup’s chin up so that she could get a proper look at his injuries.

It must have looked terrible because even Stoic let out a sympathetic, “Ah…” 

Hiccup opened his mouth but closed it again. There was no point asking Gothi if she wanted anything without Gobber here to translate for him. So he just resigned himself to going along with whatever Gothi prodded him to do. The shipwrecked boy was alright for now so Hiccup allowed Gothi to treat his wounds.

Gothi gave Stoic a look and the Chief nodded and headed downstairs to fetch some heated water and some clean cloths. Everything else Gothi needed was in her bag. The most difficult part about dealing with Hiccup’s injuries was getting off his shirt. His back and arms ached but more than that, the blood had dried and stuck his shirt to the laceration across his shoulder. After getting the shirt off, the rest was relatively simple.

Hiccup’s hands weren’t as bad as his shoulder, his hands having worked the forge for a few years now and they were calloused and worn. There were only a few blisters and cuts but it wasn’t so bad. The muscle strain would fade with rest and apart from a slight sunburn on the back of his neck he was fine. 

“That,” Stoic nodded at Hiccup’s shoulder. “Will likely scar.”

Hiccup looked down at the bandages now covering the torn skin, but he just shrugged and winced with pain.

Gobber had come back and both he and Gothi were tending to the stranger in Hiccup’s bed.

Stoic stood tall and then hesitated. He looked down at his son and Hiccup looked up at his father. Their eyes met.

The Chief opened his mouth and then closed it again. He remained silent for a few moments more before finally saying, “You did well. I can’t believe you managed to carry the boy all the way to the village by yourself.”

Hiccup lowered his eyes. “I had to.” Was his only response. 

Stoic stood around awkwardly for a moment more before Hiccup sighed.

“Don’t you have a village to tend to? I can take it from here.”

“Right!” Stoic breathed out, relieved. “The village. Yes. I’ll leave you to it then.” The large man clapped Gobber on the back and left gratefully.

Hiccup watched his father leave for a moment but then turned his attention back to the boy in his bed. Gothi finished up and left Gobber relaying some instructions to Hiccup.

“Are you sure you got all that?” Gobber asked when he was done. Hiccup nodded tiredly. “Right, well I’ll be off then. Village needs fixing and all that. By the way I saw the mess you made of my forge.” He shook his hook at Hiccup but he was smiling. “You did all right today boy.”

“Thanks Gobber.” Hiccup mumbled. He was sore and tired, Gobber seemed to get the hint. Leaving Hiccup alone with his shipwrecked boy.

Hiccup pulled another green tunic out of his clothing chest and pulled out a spare fur blanket. He dressed and dragging his chair over to the side of his bed he rugged up in the blanket and sat down to keep watch over the boy he had saved. Gothi had told Gobber to tell Hiccup, that the boy was strong and he should pull through. Hiccup wondered if the boy even wanted to, after all he had lost.

“I’m still here.” Hiccup assured the boy, unsure if he was even heard. “I know you’ve lost everything but I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe. I promise.”

With his head on the bed, his arms and feet dangling on the floor, and his bum still somehow balanced on his desk chair, Hiccup woke up in the middle of the night when there was movement on the bed. He mumbled and swallowed, his mouth felt like it was lined with cotton and his neck and back hadn’t been done any favours from his odd sleeping position. He cracked his neck with a groan, sitting up and wondering what woke him. Until he looked over and saw two brown eyes blinking at him from the middle of the bed.

Hiccup blinked the sleep out of his eyes. “You’re awake.” He spoke through a yawn and ran a hand back through his hair.

“Is it true?” The boy asked, his voice still a little hoarse but apart from that he seemed to be doing well.

Hiccup frowned. “Is what true?”

“What you said… on the beach.” The boy answered quietly. “Are they…” He took a breath, “Are they gone?”

Hiccup took a deep breath. He wanted to say something, to say anything to help this poor boy but… There was nothing he could do to make it better. “I… Yes. I’m sorry. We gave them a Viking funeral… we sent them with our honoured dead.” Hiccup informed him, hoping that the shipwrecked boy might find some measure of comfort in his words.

“No…” The boy gasped and curled in on himself. It looked like he was trying to hold himself together as his whole body began to shake. “No!” He yelled in denial even as his eyes watered and his heart shattered. He knew. He’d seen them… briefly and he knew. But he didn’t want to believe it. It should have been him. He should have been the one to die, they should both still be alive. “I don’t want to be alone…” He whimpered with water streaming from his eyes.

“Hey now, you’re not alone.” Hiccup acted without thinking and climbed up onto the bed with the boy. “I promise you’re not alone. I’m here. I know you don’t know me very well but…” He reached out and hesitated for a moment, what should he do? “Ah… my name’s Hiccup. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I’m thirteen. I am kind of skinny for my age and I’m not very good… at… well, anything.” Hiccup stopped himself with a sigh, that wasn’t quite what he meant to say. “I didn’t mean to say that… but I will always be here for you. If… If you need me.”

The boy had stopped crying and was now looking at Hiccup with wide, still slightly watery, eyes. “I… I’m Jackson Overland. I’m fourteen and… also kinda skinny for my age.” He replied with a slight smile, although his grief still lingered on his features. “Where am I?”

“The island of Berk.” Hiccup answered quickly, taking in the new information. Mostly he was just happy the boy was awake and talking. “Or more specifically in my room.” Hiccup grinned a little sheepishly. “Sorry but when I found you on the beach I just wanted to make sure you were taken care of.”

“You found us?”

Hiccup hesitated at the word ‘us’… “Yeah… but by the time I got there… it was too late for anyone but you. I’m sorry.” Hiccup felt guilty even though he knew it wasn’t his fault. Even if he’d run down to the beach first thing that morning… he still wouldn’t have made it in time to save the mother and daughter. They were long gone by the time Hiccup had reached the beach. 

“It’s not your fault.” The boy, Jackson, assured softly. He wasn’t looking at Hiccup anymore, but looking down at his hands which were fisted tightly in the blankets. He was shaking slightly and Hiccup could tell that he was breaking on the inside.

Hiccup was already on the bed with him so it didn’t take much for the smaller boy to pull Jackson into his arms. Hiccup curled protectively around his charge, with his cheek resting in Jackson’s hair he ran a hand up and down the boy’s back. “You’re not alone.” He repeated. “I know I’m not enough.” Not enough to replace Jackson’s family. Not enough to be a real Viking. Not enough of anything. “But I am here. And you are not alone.”

Jackson was still and stiff for a moment, with his face pressed into Hiccup’s neck and Hiccup’s arms wrapped around his shoulders. Then it was like a dam had broken, he flung his arms around Hiccup’s middle and buried his face into Hiccup’s chest. He sobbed. He cried brokenly and he didn’t hold anything back. What did it matter? The two most important people to him weren’t here to see his weakness. He felt shattered, ruined. Incomplete.

Hiccup just held him. There wasn’t anything he could say or do to make this better. He stroked Jack’s hair and back, trying to give the boy some needed comfort. Jackson’s sobs didn’t abate until the sun had started rising and even then it was only because the shipwrecked boy had fallen into an exhausted sleep.

Hiccup very gently laid down with Jackson. He pulled the blankets over them both and held onto the boy who had lost everything. He’d promised. He would always be there.

Jackson would never be alone.

**Author's Note:**

> This whole series is just a collection of random 'first chapters' that I've written while working on other projects. It's what I do when I'm stuck on something, I write a 'first chapter' of something else to get my creative juices flowing. I may finish alla these in time and I may not - you have been warned.


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